Many people come into the study and practice of Christian Science while taking various drugs for whatever ails them. When they start learning about the glorious possibilities of spiritual healing through the power of divine Mind, they often wonder how to make the transition from daily doses of drugs to total reliance on spiritual truth for health.
I tell them that finding health in Spirit isn’t so much about getting off of drugs, as it is “getting on” to Truth!
It’s not about what you’re not doing that creates success. But about what you are doing!
Yes, there is a relationship between what you are not doing and what you are doing. One can’t be swimming in a pool while standing on the deck looking at the water. You do one or the other. But one shouldn’t jump into the water just because he doesn’t want to be standing on the deck. One should have some sense of how to swim first. As one’s confidence grows in his swimming ability, he is more likely to give it a try and demonstrate success. And yes, first attempts may be weak and floundering, but one must start at some point, and not allow his feet to stay permanently glued to the deck.
The point being, in metaphysics, the more one stays focused on Truth, grapples with Truth and understands it better, it becomes clearer how the medicine can be left behind with good results. Divine Love works out a transition that leaves the patient in a good place.
When one grows in her understanding of Truth, she begins to see that the material medicine is not doing anything for her in any kind of real substantive way. Any effect is according to belief and only delays dealing with the real issues in that person’s life. As belief transitions from faith in matter to an understanding of Spirit, the power of God kicks into gear for that person, she feels the presence of Love within, fear of disease dissolves, the disease loses its seeming hold, and how to rely on Spirit and be well becomes apparent.
So, if you’re deep into drugs and want out, there’s a way. Turn to Truth. Seek out divine Mind’s help, and you’ll find it.
As you grow in your understanding of the healing power of Truth, the path from matter-medicine to Truth-medicine will get clearer to you. God will guide you each step of the way, enabling you to leave the temporal behind and demonstrate the eternal. Acting out from an understanding of what is spiritual and true, the decisions you make will be wise and sensible for what you are ready to demonstrate. You’ll find yourself drug free, and Truth-empowered.
“A Christian Scientist’s medicine is Mind, the divine Truth that makes man free” (Science and Health, p. 453).
Thank you Evan for this excellent article. Your understanding of the transitional steps involved and the love supporting this journey is very touching to see. Not every CS practitioner is as enlightened as you illustrate here.
Years ago, I was in a tough situation myself, and accepted medication offered to me because of the emergency nature of the challenge. But I did so based on this statement from Science and Health pg.464:
“If from an injury or from any cause, a Christian Scientist were seized with pain so violent that he could not treat himself mentally, — and the Scientists had failed to relieve him, — the sufferer could call a surgeon, who would give him a hypodermic injection, then, when the belief of pain was lulled, he could handle his own case mentally. Thus it is that we “prove all things; [and] hold fast that which is good.”
The practitioner I worked with at the time, put my thought at ease, he said, “Whatever is given to you in love cannot hurt you.” And the loving care I was receiving was very evident, so I just relaxed in the arms of divine Love and moved forward. It was not long before I was free of this medical support and relying entirely on Spirit’s Truth to sustain me.
Let us be grateful that “Love supports the struggling heart, until it ceases to sigh over the world and begins to unfold its wings for heaven…” pg. 57 in Science and Health
Thank you for explaining this point so well, Evan, especially with the swimming analogy which I have also used. If this were better understood generally, I feel more might seek out Christian Science. It’s often the thought of having to drop all medical prescriptions immediately that frightens people away.
Well said…. lovingly said. Thank you for addressing this; its a keeper.
the placibo affect is much more in play than most would admit,the case in which mrs eddy describes a student who dies from the belief he is bleeding to death,when in truth it was only ice melting on his arm is a good example of the illusion of mortal sense.
Thank you Evan for this uplifting blog. I too am a C/S for many years but still have trouble in demonstrating physical healing and I am still relying on the medical. But to feel guilty about this doesn’t help one solid bit. I was helped by reading in S&H, Page 444 that God leads into temporal & Permanent solutions. (Paraphrase) used here.
Profound article! Evan, you are such a loving and wise practitioner. Your work reminds me of a father guiding his little child into a new learning experience, nudging him and gently picking him up and with love, ever ready to catch him should he slip! ((hugs)) Lynda
When I was younger, I was put on daily thyroid medication with the understanding that if I ever stopped using it, it would kill me. I was not a Christian Scientist at that time. Many years later I called a CS Practitioner to ask for prayer related to something completely different, and was told she would not work with me if I was on any medication. I was astounded, but thought about this long and hard for several minutes & decided I didn’t really need this medicine, because God was my physician. Suddenly a warm, safe feeling of peace and absolute assurance came over me and I KNEW I simply didn’t need it. I just knew, positively. I threw the meds in the wastebasket and have not taken any medicine of any kind again. It has been nearly 20 years with no side effects whatsoever. I was SO positive that I lost all fear. 🙂
To TS-P7
That is the perfect way to do it! You acted upon spiritual inspiration, not upon human will mandate.